Report: ‘I don’t buy apples anymore’
Lack of NHS dental care provision is a national issue. Local Healthwatch across England have been hearing about problems with access, costs and communication.
We heard from almost 500 people across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire about the difficulties that the dental crisis is causing.
This report explores the human stories behind the statistical headlines. It marks the culmination of several years of feedback we have received, and the concerns of local and national dental providers regarding the ongoing effects of dental neglect.
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What did you tell us?
'Although the practice had cancelled my previous 3 appointments, the last being this year, when I rang because I had an abscess under a tooth I was told no longer registered because I'd not been seen in 2 years.'
'I rang about 20 NHS dentists last year and not a single one would register my children aged 1 year and 4 years.'
'The practice had a change of policy about how often its NHS patients should be seen. I was not aware of a policy change nor was it advertised on their website. No one informed me I would be de-registered.'
'Appointments have been made and on at least four occasions have been cancelled on the day or even when at the dental practice.'
Deregistration explained
Patients are not registered with a dental practice in the same way as they are with a GP practice, although some dental practices might see patients on a regular basis. Instead, dental practices are contracted to deliver activity and are obliged to only deliver a course of treatment to an individual, irrelevant of where they live, and not to deliver ongoing regular care.
There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Dental practices are independent businesses, often providing a combination of NHS and private dentistry.
We have made a series of recommendations following piece of work, which include:
- The local dental network to provide surgeries with clear and consistent patient information about what treatment access involves and clearly state on websites and posters that agreement to treatment does not equate patient registration to better manage patient expectations.
- The Government and NHS to recognise and action the need for change in the NHS dental contract and an increase in the number of units of treatment per practice.
